Tough race ahead for women's hockey team
By Ryan Rogers
Sports Editor
January 30, 2008
With only two games remaining in the season, the Lancers Women’s Hockey team has got to be feeling a bit anxious about the final playoff spot they’re fighting to maintain. While currently sitting in fifth spot with 24 points, the York Lions are right behind them with 22 points, and two games at hand, keeping the pressure on their playoff hopes.
Their final two games are against the Western Mustangs and the Laurier Golden Hawks.
Western is four points behind Windsor, and will put up a tough fight to knock the Lancers out of contention, while their final game of the season is against Laurier, who is in first place overall and ranked third in the CIS, ensuring that the final games will be full of emotion and relevance.
In their fight to stay afloat in the OUA, the Lancers stumbled at the hands of the Brock Badgers last Saturday, as their offensive struggles continued.
Brock scored the first goal of the game shortly after the Lancers had just finished killing off a penalty. Courtney Sutherland scored mere seconds after a Lancers penalty kill. The Lancers fought hard, but couldn’t beat Brock goalie Beth Clause, who has had great success against Windsor so far this season. In her two previous games against the Lancers she has won both, 1-0 and 3-1, saving 60 shots between the two of them.
Lancer net minder Jamie Tessier had a strong performance, as well, keeping herself alert during long droughts of action in the Lancers’ end, and making big saves on two 2-on-1s.
In the second period, the Lancers caught a break when Brock failed to clear the zone. As the puck came to the blue line, Deralise Mills slapped it back towards the net, but it fluttered up about 15 feet into the air. The Brock defender attempted to swat at it with her hands, but missed, leaving the puck about five feet in front of the net.
Diving over the defender, Manon Davis took a swing at the puck, pushing it at the net where Julie Hamilton potted the goal, tying the game at 1-1.
The Lancers dominated the play for the rest of the game, keeping the Badgers pinned down in their own end, but they would be their own worst enemies, as they continued to take offensive zone penalties.
Brock got the go ahead goal early in the third period as Lana Norris redirected a shot at the last second, leaving Tessier with no time to react.
The Lancers were in control of the puck but couldn’t get anything past Clause.
Lancer Captain Darris Ford said Clause frustrated the team. “It’s extremely frustrating because we know we have control of the game and we know that we’re a better team in the end,” she said. “But it’s panic and it’s throwing the puck away when we shouldn’t. It’s just a matter of trying to keep control and keep your head in it,” she continued.
Lancer Head Coach Carrie Sekela agreed, “We couldn’t really unlock the secret of Beth Clause in net today, she played a fantastic game, she was solid, and she didn’t make many mistakes that we were able to capitalize on.”
Clause has played all three games against the Lancers for Brock, and has allowed only two goals against with a shutout, 84 saves and a save percentage of .977.
The Lancers will be missing the play of their defenseman Frida Nevalainen, who returned home to Sweden to train for the World Championships after her first semester in Windsor.
Sekela commented, “She’s headed back to Sweden, she’s decided to train there. She’s got the World’s coming up. It’s pretty difficult being this far away from home and English being your second language at the university level would be excruciating for some.”
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